Lug box



Oct. 10, 1939, G. E. HARRISON 0 LUG BOX Filed April 30, 1938 INVENTOR IGilfialy oson/ v ATTORNEY mudixuaim UNITED STATES.

PATENT- OFFICE 2 Claim].

This invention relates generally to an improved lug box of the type usedto carry vegetables and fruits from the fleld to packing shed orcannery, and the invention is directed in particular to a a metallic lugbox for such purpose.

The principal object of the invention is to provide 9. lug box soarranged that when a plurality of the boxes are fllled and stackedtogether, the contents are not bruised or crushed and are properlyventilated; the boxes being constructed to prevent any one box of astack from sliding off the next lower box.

Another object is to provide a tapered metallic lug box having meansincorporated therewith to prevent wedging of one box in another whenempty and nested together, and at the same time without possibility ofrelative lateral shifting of the nested boxes.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a lug box wherein thebody is constructed from a single sheet of metal, the box being quitesanitary in use and readily cleaned.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensivedevice and yet one which 95 will be exceedingly effective for thepurpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the followingspecification and claims.

In the drawing similar characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the box with the hinged platforms inposition to receive another box thereon.

Figure 2 is a cross section of the box adjacent one end thereof.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is an end view illustrating the position of the swingingplatforms when several boxes are nested.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on thedrawing, the body of 45 the box is made from a single sheet of metal,the sides I and ends 2 being bent upward with an outward flare from thebottom 3. Each end includes flanges 4 which are bent into overlappingengagement with and secured to the sides I, adjacent the ends thereof.These flanges increase in width from bottom to top as shown whereby tostrengthen the upper edges of the sides adjacent the ends.

The upper edge of the body of the box through- 55 out its extent isreinforced by means of a rod 5 on the outside about which said edgeportion is rolled. The box sides are reduced in height between flangesto form a dip 6 in each side for the purpose hereinafter described.Relatively nar-- row plates or platforms 8 are provided along one B edgewith spaced hinge sleeves 9 which engage portions of the reinforcing rod5 along the ends of the box where the rod is exposed between therolled-over edge ll of the box ends; such edge being cut away atintervals to receive the hinge l0 sleeves for engagement with the rod.The hinge sleeves are arranged relative to the platforms so that thelatter may be disposed horizontal inwardly and somewhat below the planeof said rod portions. These platforms are of sufflcient 18 length toextend, when horizontally disposed, from side to side of the box; therebeing saddle elements ll formed on the ends of the platforms forsubstantially the width thereof and arranged to engage over thecorresponding upper rolled g0 edges of the box sides above flanges 4when said platforms are so positioned. The platforms are thus disposedbelow the plane of both the upper edge of the adjacent end and sideportions of the box. As a result, the boxes may be stacked one 25 uponthe other, the bottom of one box resting on the platforms of the nextlower box and without possibility of the boxes separating by reason oflateral shifting movement. The boxes are filled up only to the level ofdip 6 in the upper go edges of the sides and therefore, as such level isbelow the platforms, the produce in the box cannot be bruised or crushedwhen the boxes are stacked. Also, by reason of the box being tapered aswell as provided with the side dips 6, free cir- 35 culation of air overthe produce in the boxes takes place even when such boxes are stackedand in rows on a truck or the like.

When the box is not in use and several are to be hosted, the platformsare swung up and over the end portions of rod 5 to a depending positiontherefrom in close face to face contact with the box ends. As the boxtapers from its upper edges downward, the outer end or saddle portionsof the depending platforms project beyond the ends of the box. Thus,when several of the boxes are nested, such projecting portions of theplatforms engage the upper edges of the sides of the next lower box asshown in Fig. 4. This effectively prevents wedging of the nested boxes.To prevent lateral shifting of the nested boxes, the then lower edges ofthe depending saddles are cut upward, as at l2, so that the edge portiontherebetween extends below the plane of the engaged upper edges of thelower box.' Openings ll in the platforms form hand grips by means ofwhich the boxes can be readily handled when the platforms are swungupwardly to a vertical position as indicated in Fig. 2.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I haveproduced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of theinvention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets fnrth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of the device, still in practice such deviations from suchdetail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit ofthe invention, as defined by the appended claims. V

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A tapered box adapted for nesting and including ends and sides,platforms hinged along one edge on the upper edges of the'box ends forswinging movement from a horizontal position inwardly of said box endsto a depending position exteriorly thereof, means to limit downwardmovement of the platforms from such horizontal position, the platformswhen in a depending position projecting beyond the box ends and adaptedto engage at their then lower edges adjacent the ends thereof on theupper side edges of the next lower box when a plurality of boxes arenested, and other means formed with said platforms and arranged tocooperate with said upper side edges of said next lower box to preventlateral shifting of one box relative to the other.

2. A box as in claim 1 in which said other means comprises portions cutaway from said lower edges of the platform at the point adapted toengage the upper side edges of the next lower box whereby when aplurality of boxes are nested,

the lower edge portions of the platforms between said cut-away portionsextend below the planeof the engaged upper side edges of said next lowerbox and prevent any relative lateral shifting between said boxes.

GEORGE E. HARRISON.

